In writing of the Rocky
Road one has to pre-date written manuscripts and refer to early human
settlements in the areas that later became the parishes of Drumcliffe
and Killone. Pilgrims travelled the route to the Killone area for a mid-summer
festival, which was held around a well in the latter mentioned vicinity.
Marcus Keane suggested that the well at Killone was dedicated to Jun,
a Babylonian divinity.

The foundation of Killone
Abbey is said to have been around 1189, but it may actually be older.
Founded as a nunnery, the abbey provided many services to the surrounding
community. Donators of the land were the O'Brien clan and many of the
abbesses were known to be of that family. With the introduction of Christianity
and the foundation of the Abbey at Killone, the well of Jun, adjacent
to Killone Abbey, now became dedicated to St. John the Baptist and a pattern
of religious services replaced the old Pagan ways.

Ennis shares one characteristic
with cities like Dublin, Cork and Limerick - it was founded on an island.
Modern visitors now find it difficult to find this island (Inis). In 1216
Donnchadh Cairbreach O'Brien moved the royal seat of the O'Briens from
Limerick to Clonroad in Ennis. This in turn led to a settlement on an
island in the Fergus. From this settlement the route to Killone was well
travelled, as it became the main route of travel from this settlement
to the south west of the county.

Around 1240/1 a number
of travelling Friars were given shelter by Donnchadh Cairbreach O'Brien
in Ennis and, after a short stay, they left. Returning in 1247, they founded
an abbey by the banks of the Fergus. The present abbey was built by Turlough
O'Brien before his death in 1306.

We can now date the route
from Ennis to Killone and St. John's Well to be definitely established
from 1306. Thousands of people used to visit St. John's Well on June 24
and the road became known at 'The Pilgrims Road'. The only part which
still now remains in its natural condition is the Rocky Road.

With the Cromwellian
Plantation of the mid 1600s, Catholicism was outlawed. The Penal Laws
came strictly into force and practice of the faith of the majority went
underground. With this the annual pilgrimage to St. John's well became
a memory.

Ennis was granted a charter
to have two fairs per annum in the mid 1600s. These fairs brought many
rural dwellers into town to sell their stock and wares. The Rocky Road
being the south westerly route into town, it was over this road that the
stock was driven into the fairs of Ennis, which were held on Clonroadmore
(now Carmody Street), and on the present Fairgreen. Many farmers would
set out the day before for the fair. The area known as 'The Hawn', leading
down to the stream, became a stop- off point for the refreshing of the
stock before proceeding to the fair the next day. The pound was also used
to fodder the stock.

In the latter part of
the 19th century my grandfather told of how he and his father, and many
other farmers, brought cattle and horses to fairs in Ennis and they used
this same Rocky Road on the route in from Cragbrien, Ballyea, to reach
the fairs. They watered their stock at the 'Hawn'. This information has
also been passed on by my late father as he too walked the journey from
Cragbrien to Ennis. The right of way remained open until the 1930s when
gates were erected to both ends of the road to prevent the travelling
community camping on the route, and secure stock on lands adjoining the
Rocky Road. A swing gate was in operation to allow pedestrians walk the
route but a key was to be had at both ends of the road for those who brought
'stock' through the passage. The original swing gate is still in operation
at the Hawn entrance.

The Hawn

Starting a walk today
on the Rocky Road we enter the area at 'The Hawn' which is short for shruthán
or stream, which runs at the right as you enter. The new housing estate
that you see in front of you, has been instrumental in changing the bank
of the Hawn very much over the past two years. Originally, the road was
on a higher level and sloped gently down to the stream. The cottage that
you see on your left is over 200 years old and was built as a 'Pound Cottage'.
It is built of cut stone (now plastered over). You can see a fine example
of this stone if you look at the chimney stack. From two gables of the
house ran a cut stone wall, 8' high enclosing about a half acre. The Pound
was run by the Carroll family for the last 100 years, and they lived in
relatively good circumstances having the use of some 9 extra acres for
grazing of cattle and goats, or a horse, as the time desired. The menfolk
were also stonemasons by trade, the inheritor of the cottage (Brud?),
marrying a German housekeeper in service to Joyces of Edenvale. (Miss
Carroll sold the cottage and lands in 1999 for building development).

During the war of 1939-45
the area adjacent to the Rocky Road known as the Carteagh became a very
popular 'amenity area' for townspeople of Ennis as a picnic area. It was
also the provider of Hazel, Ash, Black and Whitethorn for firewood when
other fuels were rationed for the less well-off inhabitants of the area.

In the 1960s and '70s
the Hawn became a favourite spot for washing motor cars, especially taxi
cars. Sunday morning often saw a queue waiting with their buckets and
sponge to rid their cars of the grime of the week.

It would be remiss of
me not to mention that the Rocky and Carteagh was also well known as a
courting spot, and the assumption that many an Ennis child was conceived
here could be well founded.

The Carteagh

On both sides of the
Rocky Road is the Carteagh. This is an area of limestone cragg, similar
to the Burren in north Clare. The Carteagh has similar flora to the Burran,
and it is at its best in the late Spring. It also has native woods such
as Blackthorn, Whitethorn, Ash, Oak, Sally, Birch, Hazel among others
that seem to grow out of the rock. Wildlife also bounds here including
the Fox, Red Squirrel, Stoat, Field Mouse, Rat, Lizard, a species of crossed
fox/domestic cat and the Goat.

1954 was celebrated as
'Marian Year' in Ireland. This celebration saw quite a number of 'Marian
Shrines' to the Blessed Virgin being erected in Clare. Many of these shrines,
including the ones in the People's Park in Ennis and in Kilrush, got their
unique stones from the walls on the upper part of the Rocky Road.

There is one other interesting
item associated with the Carteagh. As you walk up about 200m., look directly
back down the road. You will see the tower of the Cathedral of St. Peter
& Paul in Ennis. This Cathedral was built in the period from 1842
and finished around 1877 - the spire you see was the last to be finished
and the stone was quarried from a quarry here on the Carteagh, on your
right as you look back to Ennis. This tower was built by Carroll, stone
mason and contractor.

In the latter part of
the twentieth century and right up to the present day the Rocky Road is
used once again as a pedestrian walk to both St. John's Well, which has
revived the mid-Summer ritual of Mass and dancing at the crossroads, and
as a safe, environmentally friendly leisure walk off the main thoroughfares
leading to and from the town of Ennis.

In 1989 a grant of £25,000
was made available by Clare County Council to improve the amenity known
as the Rocky Road and the intention of the council was voiced to purchase
the area as an amenity park for the town of Ennis. This money was never
used. Is this area worth saving? This question was asked of the people
of Ennis in the year 2000. Gladly the answer was a resounding, Yes.

Looking Towards Ennis

The National Roads Authority
set in motion the purchase of lands in the area with a view to constructing
a western bypass of Ennis - this bypass would have taken some 100 yards
from the middle of the road in the form of a round-about. This proposal
is to cut the existing Rocky Road in two, leaving about a half mile of
it in its present condition. Though the bypass is given the go-ahead the
right-of-way is protected for pedestrians by footbridge. Also the animal
wildlife is to be given access under the new bypass. The roundabout proposed
for the middle of the Rocky Road has now been moved off the road, some
30-40 metres, to the south.

The above came about
after a very public local campaign that was also nationally highlighted
in both the press and television. Over 2,000 signatures were sent to the
Minister leading to local TD's, Euro MP's, Senators, County and Urban
Councillors being won over to the cause of preservation.

The campaign also led
to motions at both urban and county councils to purchase the portion of
the Carteagh and Rocky on the town side of the proposed bypass as a wilderness
park for the people of Ennis. This proposed and passed motion is still
a work in progress for our councils.